Sunday, 16 January 2011

Survival

The snow was still lying last Sunday, so all we could do was empty the kitchen waste into the compost bin and check the broccoli cage. As well as the usual fox, cat and dog tracks in the snow, we saw some rabbit tracks for the first time.

All was fine at the plot. Beautiful, even, with this delicate tracery of fennel stems against the snow.

But winter is about survival.

No traces of fur or feather to tell what had been done to death. No rabbit prints nearby, so perhaps urban rabbit escaped to nibble more unprotected cabbages and broccoli.

15 comments:

If life is about Survival of the Fittest, maybe you have to forgive the rabbit for eating (or trying to eat) your brassicas, so that it can grow strong and escape the foxes, stoats or whatever?! What would you do?P.S. Linda the last picture is definitely not your average gardening blog picture!

Here in the desert, we have little signs that say "coyotes" by each external door. That way, if one of us hears coyotes howling nearby at night, we stick the coyote sign on the door as an alert not to let out the cats or the little dogs until (we hope) the danger has passed.

We were also warned when we moved here to keep an eye out for large birds of prey, lest our smaller pets get carried off.

I was thrilled to have a visitor from Scotland today! You must have thought this was strange food...the blue Jello and my mention of BBQ and fried okra, I'm sure our Southern specialties need explaination! Your photographs are amazing, the patterns of the snow all different. I've never heard it described at beaten egg whites, but so accurate! Your allotment, is that where you live or separate from your house? Why do you have to build such cages around the garden? Anxious to read more of your posts and I hope your Dad is feeling much better.joy c. in Arkansas

Joycee, our allotment is a plot of ground that we rent from the city council for growing fruit and veg. It's near our house, but that's just luck. Most cities in the UK have these sites, some with large numbers of plots, some quite small. The council provides basic services such as running water and often composting toilets. (And yes, I did think the blue jello was strange).

Jo, thank you so much - I'm really flattered but inept about doing anything with awards!

Enjoyed taking a few moments to tour your allotment under winter snows over the last two months. I like your eye for pattern and detail. Also the narrative thread, your father, and the 70 year old man (someone hardly older than me) looking after the gardening for him...Thanks.